There are currently over 600,000 gaming devices in the U.S., including slot machines, video poker machines, video blackjack machines and the like. While these gaming devices are highly profitable to casinos, inconveniences and delays exist that limit a player from initiating or continuing game play, thus reducing the profitability of such gaming devices to the casinos.
For example, most gaming devices require the player to provide coins, tokens, or bills as a wager in order to play. While wagering credits or funds is the basis of most gambling, it sometimes occurs that a player runs out of funds or credits accepted by the gaming device, while still having the ability to access additional funds or credits at a remote location. In these cases the player is typically required to leave the gaming device in order to obtain these additional credits or funds (e.g., the player may need to go to an ATM machine or to a casino cage to exchange table game chips). This is disadvantageous to the casino because the player may choose not to return to the gaming device. Even if the player chooses to return to the gaming device, time is wasted while the funds are being obtained.
In summary, casinos and players would benefit from methods and systems that alleviate some of the delays and inconveniences that accompany the operation of gaming devices.